The art has recognized that it would be desirable to produce a one-step, dry pectin gelling composition in order to facilitate the production of jellies, jams and the like. One-step liquid gelling agents wherein pectin is present in dissolved form are known, but these gelling agents require chemical preservation and/or sterilization and also the addition of sugar in measured amount at the time of preparing the jelly or jam.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,676 to Langen et al. discloses a one-step, dry, pectin-containing gelling composition which contains all of the ingredients (i.e. pectin, food acid, sugar) which have to be added to the fruit juice or fruit pulp. The product described in this patent consists (in unflavored form) predominantely of sugar (e.g. 98% by weight), about 1% by weight of pectin and about 0.8% by weight of an acid wherein granules of coarsely ground sugar are coated with particles of finely subdivided pectin, sugar and/or acid (i.e., fruit acid such as citric or tartaric). The product also discloses that the sugar granules may be moistened, such as by contact with steam, in order to promote adhesion of the finely-ground particles onto the sugar granules. This patent however requires the use of pectin which has a medium or low degree of esterification (i.e., between 60 and 38) and avoids the use of conventional and more economical highly-esterified pectins. The patent in one embodiment directs the use of sugar granules of a size from 0.3 to 2 mm (about 50 U.S. mesh to 10 U.S. mesh) in combination with co-ground particles of pectin and fruit acid having a particle size between about 2 microns and 50 microns (270 U.S. mesh). Co-grinding is a process which usually requires the use of relatively sophisticated grinding equipment and/or grinding procedures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,106 to Ehrlich discloses another one-step, dry pectin gelling composition wherein an emulsifier is coated onto coarse, sanding sugar and this coated sugar is then mixed with finely ground pectin (less than 200 mesh, preferably less than 400 mesh) and citric acid. This product requires the presence of a chemical emulsifier which may not be viewed as desirable in such foods as homemade jellies and jams.